Oklahoma's OL injuries go from bad to worse with Michigan battle around the corner

Before Michigan can even think about its potential Top 15 matchup vs. No. 10 Oklahoma, depending on how the rankings shift after Week 1, the Wolverines have to get past Western Michigan. However, Oklahoma seems to have a tough time keeping a center healthy, and it's hard not to focus on it.

After Michigan wraps up its matchup against Western Michigan, every bit of attention will be on Oklahoma, but with the injuries the Sooners have sustained in recent weeks, their attention might already be on the Wolverines.

During fall camp, Oklahoma lost starting center Jake Maikkula to a leg injury for 4-6 weeks. While Maikkula should return for SEC play, he likely won't be available vs. Michigan, effectively weakening the Sooners' offensive line. Things have gone from bad to worse for Oklahoma, as it was reported that backup and named starter for the UTEP vs. OU game, Ryan Fodje, has also gone down with a leg injury and will miss Week 1, but his availability for Week 2 is still unknown.

Michigan might face a third-string center vs. Oklahoma with Ryan Fodje suddenly injured

It doesn't matter what uniform you wear; you never want to see anyone go down with an injury. However, these injuries do play a big part in how Oklahoma and Michigan's matchup could play out. Fodje will miss Week 1, and it is unknown what his status will be for the Sooners' matchup against the No. 16 Wolverines, so Michigan could face a third or even fourth-stringer poised to have to anchor this Oklahoma offensive line.

The offensive line is a fairly new one for the Sooners, with Maikkula bringing the most experience. With him sidelined, it was Fodje who was tasked with stepping up, and while he doesn't bring a lot of experience to the table, he would have gotten his feet wet playing against UTEP. Now that job will go to either Western Kentucky transfer Caleb Nitta or freshman Noah Best.

So, how does this work out for Michigan? Well, the center of the line will be vulnerable, even if a miracle happens and Maikkula returns for the matchup. While the Wolverines may not have the strongest pressure in the interior defensive line positions, it is the edge-rushers that might be more of a problem for the Sooners.

With Utah transfer John Henry Daley and fall camp standout Nate Marshall on the edge of the line, Oklahoma may need to double one of those guys, leaving the middle of the line even thinner than it already is. If Oklahoma chooses to keep things grounded in the middle, both Daley and Marshall could create a lot of problems for Oklahoma QB John Mateer.

It seems like a lose-lose situation for the Sooners, and in turn a win-win for Michigan. Now, Fadje could return for Oklahoma vs. Michigan, with an MRI set for Wednesday to see just how bad the knee injury is. Even if he does, he won't have the game experience he would have gotten vs. UTEP to help him prepare for the Wolverines.

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